Get Reel: Sports movies that score the most points

Sunday

Oct 8, 2017 at 10:54 AM

An easy way to get into an argument is to offer your opinion on the best sports movies of all time. The odds of you finding anything close to universal agreement are about as good as the Cleveland Browns winning Super Bowl LII.

So let’s get the verbal quarrels started with an assist from Sports Betting Online.net. The website has calculated the best sports films in boxing, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, motor-racing and tennis based on box office receipts, awards won and review scores.

Most of the films on these lists come from recent times though a few date back to the 1940s and 1950s.

Muddying the picture somewhat is that some of the best movies involving sports, at least on the periphery, may not have considered – “On the Waterfront,” anyone?

Also, the playing field might not be completely even as older sports films seldom received the attention of top filmmakers – so much for multiple awards – or benefited from a public relations push from TV and social media – so much for boffo box office. There are more awards organizations now, too.

But I digress. Without further ado, here are the statistics for the Top Five in each of the aforementioned sports.

Of the movies on this list, “Raging Bull” is by far the best film, though the movie with the highest “moist-in-the-eyes” factor has to be “Million Dollar Baby.” Not listed but should be: “Requiem for a Heavyweight.”

For the record, IMDb stands for Internet Movie Database. Dating from 1990, it's an online database of information related to films, TV and video games. Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregation website for film and television launched in 1998. As for the awards category, when the site says a film didn’t win any awards, one can assume it means it didn't receive any major awards.

Rounding out the Top Ten: “The Longest Yard” (from 1974, not the 2005 remake), “Any Given Sunday,” “The Waterboy,” “Invincible” and “Varsity Blues.”

No film on this list stands out as far superior to the others, though there is a film that is far inferior. That would be “The Waterboy.” I expect Adam Sandler fans will throw a penalty flag on that opinion.

Not listed but should be even though it was made for TV: “Brian’s Song.” Due to its popularity, it did receive a brief theatrical release. It’s my favorite football movie and one with an off-the-charts “moist-in-the eyes” factor. I also have soft spot for “Heaven Can Wait.”

I am a tennis fan and most of these films serve double-faults if you looking for movies that are really about the sport.

Note that “When Billie Beat Bobby” is a 2001 ABC docudrama starring Holly Hunter as Billie Jean King and Ron Silver as Bobby Riggs.” The best tennis movie is actually in theaters right now and it’s about the same King-Riggs match. This is one is called “The Battle of the Sexes” starring Emma Stone as King and Steve Carell as Riggs. While the film loses points in the authenticity category as both stars relied on doubles for many of the tennis scenes (Vince Spadea for Carell and Kaitlyn Christian for Stone), it does score with its behind-the-scenes look at women’s tennis in general and King in particular.

Overall, the film that won the most awards on this list was “The Fighter” with 72. The film with the highest IMDb score was “Senna” with 8.6. The film with the highest Rotten Tomatoes score was “Fat City” with 100. The film with biggest box office was “The Blind Side” with $309 million. The film with the best opening weekend was “Talladega Nights” with $47 million.

The award to the actor who makes the best sports movies and can actually play the sports goes to Kevin Costner.

While hockey wasn’t included in this list for some reason, the best hockey movie, hands down - or should that be gloves down? - is “Slapshot” (1977) starring Paul Newman with a screenplay by Framingham’s Nancy Dowd.

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